Short-turn device for motor vehicles



Jane 14, 1927. 1,632,665

w. E. MITCHELL SHORT TURN DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Nov. 1, l192:5

Patented June 14, 1927.

UNITED STATES APATErJT'ori-icI3.'`

WALTER E. MITCHELL, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

S'IiIOR'l-TURNk DEVICE FOR MOTR VEHICLES.

Application'led November 1, 1923. Serial No. 672,093.

My invention relates to improvements in i short turn devices for motor vehiclesand taken in connection turned around in very little space. t

' Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description p 'with the accompanying drawings. i

W'hen motor vehicles are being handled in crowded places as in garages and parking areas it is often exceedingly desirable to turn said vehicles in the least possible space in order to get them into or out of crowded places. The usual motor vehicle steering apparatus will notA permit turning of the vehiclefwithout simultaneous forward .or rearward movement thus making it im )ossible at times to get a vehicle intoa p ace ,of small area where it 'may be desired to go, or to get it out of a place from which it may be desired' to move, as for instance to move the vehicle out of a parking place or away from a curb 'when therel are otherve-y .liicles close behind and in front. My li'nvention makes it possible togetthe 'vehicleV into orout-of, substantially any space that Ais as long as -the vehicle.

In a general way the invention consists in providing a motor vehicle with steering mechanism that will permit the front wheels to be turned substantially'crosswise'of the vehicle and in providing `means bywhich one rear or driving wheel may be locked or held in. a fixed position* so that when lthe driving power is applied to the rear axle the other rear wheel will cause the vehicle 'nto swing around and p1vot on the wheel `that is locked orl held. e

In the accompanying drawings I vhave shown onepreerred operative embodiment 'of my invention but it will be understood that the invention vis lcapable of beingembodied in many different forms `and that said drawings are merely illustrative.

In the drawin Figure 1 is a plan view "of a motor vehic e chassis on which my in- J vention is installed parts of the chassis being omitted. f

Fig 2 is a view in side elevation of the rear end of the same. f

Fig. 3 is a view partly in cross section and partly in elevation showing certain brake operating means.

Fig. 4 is a view partly in plan and partly i in cross section substantially on broken line .4Q-lof Fig. 3. y

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustratingthe operation of-the steering means. J Like reference numerals parts throughout the several views.

designate' like In the drawings I ha 7e shown a motor g vehicle frame 5 provided with right ,and

vleft front wheels 6 and 7 respectively and right and left rear wheels l8 and 9 respectively, The front wheels are connected by pivots 10 with a/ transverse Jrront axle 11 and are provided respectively with a rearwardly extending steering arm 12 anda forwardly extending steering arm 13. The outer ends of the' steering arms 12 and 13 are connected by links v111 and ll 5 with opposite ends of a steering lever 16 that is fulcrumed on a iixed pivot 17 mid way between its two ends and that has a crank arm 18 projecting ,sidewise therefrom that is connected by an actuating bar 19 with a lever 20 on the bottom end of a steering post- 21 of the usual' forni. I

When the steering post 21 is turned' the front 'wheels may beturned in the usual manner about the pivots 10 for steering, the vehicle. butA ifthesteering post 21 is'turned more than the usual amount' in a counter clockwise direction the front wheels 12 and 13 will'be turned substantially crosswise of the vehicle, 'as shown in Fig.l 5 and will' lie lsulistantially.against the iront axle 11-which will limit their turning movement-and stop them'just before they reach an exact transverselpos'ition.

If, when-the front wheels are turned substantially crosswise of the vehicle, one rear wheel is anchored or held in a substanti ally fixed position'and power is applied to'the other rear wheel then the Ivehicle will pivot von the substantially fixed` wheel and will be turned on aradiusof less than its own length.

' The rear wheels 8 and 9 are provided with the usual brakes 22 having brake operanting rods 23 that are yconnected with lever arms 24 on brake operatingl -sleeves 25 and 26 that are mounted on a transverse rod 27. Sleeves 25 and 26 are provided respectively with lever arms 28 and 29 having holes 30 in their upper ends for slidably receiving the rear ends of links 31 and 32 the forward ends of which links are connected with lever arms 33 .and 34 on a transverseshaft 35 that is arranged to be oscillated by brake pedal 36. The links 31 and 32 have rigid stop means on their rear ends but are free to slide rearwardly through the levers. The mechanism just .described constitutes means for operating the brakes in the usual manner.

In accordance with my invention I provide means for selectively applying the brake 4of either rear wheel without applying the opposite brake, which means may consist of a hand lever 37 mounted on transverse rod 27 between two levers 38 and 39 that` are provided on the respective sleeves 25 and 26. The hand lever 37 is provided with pawls 40 movable over ratchet teeth onquadrants 41. Springs 42 normally hold the hand lever 37 in the mid position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 clear of both levers 38 and 39 but said hand lever may be moved to either side by exerting pressure thereon to selectively engage the same within a notched element 43 in either lever 38 or 39 whereby one sleeve 25 or 26 may be turned to set then brake on either rear wheel -without setting the brake on the other rear wheel.

In operation if a motor vehicle on which this device ifs-installed is 'to be turned in a Short space the front wheels are turned substantially crosswise of the vehicle as shown in Fig. 5, the brake on one rear wheel is set by moving hand lever 37 first to one side and then forwardly and -power is then applied to thec other rear wheel thus causing the vehicle to pivot substantially on the wheel to which the brake is applied `and causing the forward end lof the vehicle tro swing to- 011e side.

If the left rear wheel is locked, power aplied to drive the right rearL wheel forwardy will swing the vehicle to the leftand power applied to drive the right rear Wheel rearwardly will swing the vehicle to the right. If the right rear wheel is locked forward movement of the left rear wheel will turn the vehicle to the rightv and rearward movement of the left rear wheel will turn the vehicle to the left. e f

Means for preventing the front vehicle wheels from turning more than the usual amount needed for steering except when a short turn is to be made is provided, which means may consist of a stop lever 44 pivoted as at 45 and arranged to have its front end form a stop for lever arm 20 onlsteering post 2l. The rear end of stop lever4-4 may he connected with an upwardly extending bar by which the rear4 end of said lever may be lifted to move the forward end of the same clear of lever 20 prior to turning the front vehicle wheels crosswise of the vehicle in making a short turn.

When the hand lever 37 is moved forwardly to set one brake only the link 3l or 32 may slide through the hole 30 in the lever arm 28 or 29 without moving the brake pedal 36. Obviously many changes in this device may be made within the scope of the following claim.

l I claim, y The combination with a motor vehicle having the usual driven rear wheels and having the usual frontl wheels pivoted for steering, said rear Wheels having the usual brakes, of mea-ns for applying the brake to one of said rear wheels independently of the other rear wheel, and steering devices for said front wheels, said stcerlng devices embodying `a steering arm extending forwardly from the pivot of one front wheel, a steering arm extending rearwardly from the pivot ofthe other front wheel, a steering lever medially fulcrumed 'between said front wheels', links connecting theaespective forward and rear ends of said steering lever with the forwardly projecting stecring arm and the rearwardly projecting steering arm and means fon turning said steering lever to steer said front Wheels and to turn said front wheels'substantially crosswise of the vehicle in one direction.

Seattle, Washington, October 27,1923.I I

WALTER n. MITCHELL. 

